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In situ hybridization of mRNA for β-preprotachykinin and preprosomatostatin in adult rat dorsal root ganglia: comparison with immunocytochemical localization

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Journal of Neurocytology

Summary

In situ hybridization histochemistry was used to identify neurons in rat dorsal root ganglia that contained mRNAs encoding β-preprotachykinin and preprosomatostatin. The distribution of these neurons was compared with the distribution of neurons containing tachykinins or somatostatin, identified using immunocytochemical techniques. Neurons labelled for β-preprotachykinin mRNA constituted 20% of the total neuronal population and belonged to the small cell class. Neurons labelled for preprosomatostatin mRNA with either RNA or DNA hybridization probes constituted approximately 10% of the total cells and comprised a small cell group that differed in average size from the β-preprotachykinin labelled population. The distribution of cells containing tachykinin- or somatostatin-like immunoreactive material was identical to the distribution of cells containing the respective mRNAs and, in addition, individual somata in adjacent sections contained both the mRNA precursor and the peptide. These results suggest that for these neuropeptides the sensitivity of the two methods is equivalent and the respective mRNAs and peptides are co-localized in the same neurons.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Deborah B. Henken, Alan Tessler, Marie-Françoise Chesselet, Alan Hudson & Marion Murray

  2. Philadelphia VA Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Alan Tessler & Alan Hudson

  3. Cephalon Inc., West Chester, PA, USA

    Frank Baldino Jr.

Authors
  1. Deborah B. Henken
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  2. Alan Tessler
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  3. Marie-Françoise Chesselet
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  4. Alan Hudson
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  5. Frank Baldino Jr.
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  6. Marion Murray
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Henken, D.B., Tessler, A., Chesselet, MF. et al. In situ hybridization of mRNA for β-preprotachykinin and preprosomatostatin in adult rat dorsal root ganglia: comparison with immunocytochemical localization. J Neurocytol 17, 671–681 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01260994

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01260994

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